DENVER - Calvin Terrell Stafford, age 23, and Napoleon Williams, age 24, both from Missouri, were sentenced today to serve 27 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years on supervised release, for conspiring to steal firearms from a Colorado gun store, and theft of firearms from a Colorado gun store, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and ATF Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston announced. The defendants, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, were remanded at its conclusion.
Both defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 13, 2017. They pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello on February 6, 2018. They were sentenced today.
At approximately 3:00 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2017, Stafford and Williams broke into a gun store in Springfield, Colorado. Stafford and Williams first attached a heavy chain to the door of the gun store and then used a truck to attempt to pull the door open. When that failed, Stafford and Williams broke the front window of the gun store, which set off the alarm. They stole nineteen firearms, including five rifles. Stafford and Williams then fled to Missouri where they sold some of the stolen weapons in exchange for marijuana and money. The defendants were apprehended later that same day by law enforcement.
“Breaking into a gun store in Colorado is a great way to get yourself straight into federal prison," said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “Colorado is a national leader when it comes to solving gun crime, thanks to our exceptional prosecutors and partnerships with the ATF and Colorado police and sheriffs."
“As this case demonstrates, ATF works seamlessly across state lines to aggressively pursue criminals such as Stafford and Williams," Debbie Livingston, ATF Denver Special Agent in Charge, said. “The collaboration we have with our ATF counterparts in Kansas City and St. Louis, as well as with the Springfield Police Department and the Baca County Sheriff’s Office, made the apprehension of these individuals possible. Together, we will continue to pursue such criminal elements and remove them from our communities."
This case was investigated by the ATF with support from Springfield Police Department and other area law enforcement. The defendants were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Covell and Hetal J. Doshi.
CASE NUMBER: 18-cr-325 #
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
